The theme for my Literature Review is centered on the question "How do iPads improve classroom instruction?"
In order to better collect my thoughts, I took the advice of Professor Brown and created a visual organizer called a Popplet. I utilized the Popplet web site to better formulate ideas I discovered while composing each of my analytic memos. Specifically, I was searching for similarity and relationships in themes, ideas and concepts within each of these memos.
The Popplet I created can be viewed below (png version), or by clicking here (pdf version):
Each of these topics relates to iPad use in classrooms. Each question was generated as a result of a brainstorming method following the composition of each of my analytic memos. Moreover, each topic was a theme or topic in most sources I listened to, read, or viewed. I was limited, however; I knew that I could not move forward with my Literature Review with all 13 topics.
Using the analytic memos and Popplet, I was able to whittle my topics down to four. I feel that these four themes best capture and encompass the relationships shared among each of my sources. The four themes I chose are:
How do teachers use iPads?
How do students use iPads?
What issues can iPads cause?
What issues can iPads remedy?
It is no subtle secret that technology is making a profound impact on the educational institutions of the present day. For example, I am currently working with students and teachers at River Bluff High School in Lexington, South Carolina. River Bluff is a school belonging to the Lexington 1 School District, which is one of school districts encompassing the greater Columbia, South Carolina area.
In 2008, the Lexington 1 School District purchased iPads for all students. According to the Lexington 1 School District's document (publicly released) titled Questions About the Personal Mobile Computing Initiative (2012), originally, the iPads cost $479 each, but currently the district is purchasing the devices for around $450. The iPads were purchased as part of the 2008 Bond Referendum, which Lexington residents voted to approve. The Bond Referendum is a $15M expansion upgrade to improve all existing technology at all the schools in the district. In addition to iPads, the bond also included funding for Smart Boards, increased school security, improved classroom distribution systems, improved access to online resources, and network filtering, storage and infrastructure. Of that $15M, Lexington 1 has spent approximately $7.1M purchasing iPads for all teachers and students for all four high schools and all seven middle schools. This means approximately 7,200 combined iPads for the high schools, and approximately 6,000 combined iPads for the middle schools. Teachers/faculty use approximately 2,180 iPads (this number also includes elementary school teachers). However, elementary school students are not issued iPads for personal use. Instead, the district has purchased sets for individual classroom use ("Questions About the Personal Mobile Computing Initiative", 2014).
The following sections (Themes 1-4) are a Literature Review, and they will explore the existing scholarly research on the topic of "How do iPads improve classroom instruction?"
The theme for my Literature Review is centered on the question "How do iPads improve classroom instruction?"
In order to better collect my thoughts, I took the advice of Professor Brown and created a visual organizer called a Popplet. I utilized the Popplet web site to better formulate ideas I discovered while composing each of my analytic memos. Specifically, I was searching for similarity and relationships in themes, ideas and concepts within each of these memos.
The Popplet I created can be viewed below (png version), or by clicking here (pdf version):
Each of these topics relates to iPad use in classrooms. Each question was generated as a result of a brainstorming method following the composition of each of my analytic memos. Moreover, each topic was a theme or topic in most sources I listened to, read, or viewed. I was limited, however; I knew that I could not move forward with my Literature Review with all 13 topics.
Using the analytic memos and Popplet, I was able to whittle my topics down to four. I feel that these four themes best capture and encompass the relationships shared among each of my sources. The four themes I chose are:
It is no subtle secret that technology is making a profound impact on the educational institutions of the present day. For example, I am currently working with students and teachers at River Bluff High School in Lexington, South Carolina. River Bluff is a school belonging to the Lexington 1 School District, which is one of school districts encompassing the greater Columbia, South Carolina area.
In 2008, the Lexington 1 School District purchased iPads for all students. According to the Lexington 1 School District's document (publicly released) titled Questions About the Personal Mobile Computing Initiative (2012), originally, the iPads cost $479 each, but currently the district is purchasing the devices for around $450. The iPads were purchased as part of the 2008 Bond Referendum, which Lexington residents voted to approve. The Bond Referendum is a $15M expansion upgrade to improve all existing technology at all the schools in the district. In addition to iPads, the bond also included funding for Smart Boards, increased school security, improved classroom distribution systems, improved access to online resources, and network filtering, storage and infrastructure. Of that $15M, Lexington 1 has spent approximately $7.1M purchasing iPads for all teachers and students for all four high schools and all seven middle schools. This means approximately 7,200 combined iPads for the high schools, and approximately 6,000 combined iPads for the middle schools. Teachers/faculty use approximately 2,180 iPads (this number also includes elementary school teachers). However, elementary school students are not issued iPads for personal use. Instead, the district has purchased sets for individual classroom use ("Questions About the Personal Mobile Computing Initiative", 2014).
The following sections (Themes 1-4) are a Literature Review, and they will explore the existing scholarly research on the topic of "How do iPads improve classroom instruction?"